April 2015

The Career Advisory Board What the Most Successful Job Seekers Do Right

Executive Summary

Survey Methodology

The Career Advisory Board’s Successful Job Seekers research was designed to uncover the actions and traits of individuals who were able to land new jobs quickly in a market where hiring managers are increasingly selective and many candidates go months or years without employment.   The research was conducted online within the United States by DeVry University on behalf of the Career Advisory Board in March 2015. Survey respondents included 589 U.S. professionals who had accepted a new job in the last year, and who received an interview for that role within six months of being recruited or starting a new job search.

Snapshot of Respondents

88%

12%

72%

28%

10% 45% 35% 11%

15% 38% 32%

Full or Part Time? Active vs. Passive Job Seekers

Were employed full time

Were employed part time

Actively applying for new jobs

Not looking when they were recruited within or outside their current company

Age Range

Salary

Ages 18-26 Ages 27-40 Ages 41-54 Ages 55+

Earned $25-49K/year Earned $50-99K/year Earned $100+K/year

The Findings

51%

Active job seeker respondents, on the whole, targeted individual companies and applied to open positions very selectively. Nearly a third received an interview for more than half the positions to which they applied.

applied to 5 or fewer positions

66% 90%

applied to 10 or fewer positions

wanted to be at least 75% qualified before applying

41% wanted to be at least 90% qualified before applying

Successful Job Seekers TARGET

A job search is not a numbers game

Percentage of respondents

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Reached out to contact person

Customized a resume

Wrote a targeted cover letter

Reached out to personal network

Successful Job Seekers CUSTOMIZE

84%

63%

52%

46%

28%

26%

Updated or created a new resume for that opportunity

Reviewed the company website

Googled the company

Brainstormed concrete examples of how the job description matched their skill set

Talked to current employees at the company

Googled their interviewers

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

In preparing for individual interview conversations

84%

63%

52%

46%

28%

26%

Activities engaged in after spotting a great job opportunity

More than 3 hours

1-3 hours

Less than an hour

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%

Daily hours spent on a job search

Successful Job Seekers ORGANIZE

Though many career advisers suggest treating a search like a full-time job,

most of our respondents didn’t.

73% Kept files on

each opportunity

64% Stuck to a weekly to do

list

50% Used an online

calendar or smartphone

app to manage appointments

They didn’t follow up too much, however.

65% 17% 16%

64% 6%

Respondents emailed thank you

notes after an interview

Mailed hard copy thank you notes

Called to thank the interviewer(s)

Of respondents followed up after the interview at least once

They didn’t follow up too much, however.

Followed up frequently

47%

45%

7%

Organization and timely follow up were critical to securing an offer

The most successful active and passive job seekers were willing to settle to some degree. Most accepted jobs that were superior in only a few ways (role, industry, company, geographic location).

Successful Job Seekers ARE REALISTIC

63% Accepted roles they felt were desirable

55% Accepted a role at a desirable company

51% Accepted a role in a desirable location

46% Accepted a role in a desirable industry

21% Felt the received an

excellent offer

61% Thought the offer was

good enough

19% Thought the offer was

not good, but they wanted the work

Percentage of respondents

We asked both active and passive job seekers about the #1 most critical factor in receiving a job offer, and about the personal traits that they felt contributed most to their success.

What Sets Them Apart

52 54 56 58 60 62 64 66 68

Willingness to learn

Adaptability

Confidence

Critical Success Traits

28%

21%

20%

Communicated what they could offer a company

Were willing to be flexible

Had very marketable skills

#1 Success Factors

Successful job seekers were remarkably consistent regardless of their age or years spent working. There were, however, a few variations worth noting:  

•  The youngest respondents (18-26 years) spent much more time per day on job search activities than the oldest respondents (over 41 years). About 50 percent of successful seekers over age 41 spent less than an hour per day on their search, while only 23 percent of 18-26 year-olds spent this little.

•  The youngest respondents were the most likely to jump online immediately to prepare for an interview. Nearly 62 percent of respondents ages 18-40 Googled the company while only 41 percent of respondents over age 41 did so.

•  Mid-level careerists ages 27-40 were more likely to engage a coach or therapist than the youngest and oldest respondents (12 percent versus 2 percent of 18-26 year-olds and 0 percent of over 55 year-olds).

•  As seekers get older, a willingness to learn becomes less of a factor in securing employment. Eighty-four percent of the youngest job seekers cited this quality as critical while only 59 percent of the oldest job seekers did.  

   

   

Does Age Matter?

Advice for Job Seekers

Although most successful job seekers don’t spend more than a few hours a day on search activities, they are meticulous in how they research, identify, and contact promising organizations. You will have better results if you concentrate on a few choice opportunities and understand what’s most important to each hiring organization. Then, customize your application materials and “study” for each interview so that it’s apparent that you’ve done your due diligence and know exactly what you can bring to the position.

Put in the time

Job search techniques

Our respondents employed a mix of job search techniques, ranging from occasional use to frequent use. Sixty-five percent queried their family, friends, and mentors about target companies, 60 percent Googled companies, 47 percent tapped contacts in their business networks, 42 percent attended in person networking events like one-on-one meetings, conferences, and industry gatherings, and 28 percent leveraged industry associations. The key? Spread your influence around so potential employers are more likely to hear about you and what you have to offer.

Use in multiple touchpoints

Don’t focus too much on social media

Only 33 percent used professional network LinkedIn occasionally or frequently. The type of engagement on social networks was fairly limited as well. Therefore, you should certainly have a social media presence, but spending hours per day on Twitter will not bring in the bulk of your interviews. So, social media is not a panacea for your job search woes. You should certainly have a presence, but spending hours per day on Twitter will not bring in the bulk of your interviews.

43%

39% 11%

8%

Used social networks to talk with employers or recruiters

Used social media to research employers

Used social networks to talk with employers or recruiters

Used social media to participate in industry-related discussions

Find your happy medium

In an interview situation, you should employ a happy medium between too informal (as if you’re talking to a stranger on an airplane) and too formal (as if you are sticking to a script you prepared in advance). In terms of what they did most often in interviews, 60 percent of our respondents paused thoughtfully before answering questions, 43 percent adopted a conversational style, 39 percent listened more than they talked, and 30 percent made sure their agenda was covered in addition to the interviewer’s.

Balance “going with the flow” with selling yourself

No news is usually, bad news

When you are waiting to hear from an employer, realize that no news is usually bad news. Our respondents’ experiences showed that if employers are serious, they tend to move quickly. Seventy-five percent of successful seekers had an offer in hand less than a month after their first interview.

Beware of a slow hiring process

Job Acceptance

As we mentioned, most respondents did not accept a job that fulfilled 100 percent of their criteria. Your goal should be to secure an offer in which you generally enjoy going to work every day and have the opportunity to develop professionally and acquire new skills.

Understand that it won’t be perfect

Constructive Feedback

Even though they are clearly doing a great deal right, successful job seekers recognized that there’s always room for improvement. They were on the lookout for constructive feedback, and when they received it, 82 percent looked for ways to incorporate it into future efforts. Remember that recruiters or hiring managers who share areas for improvement are only trying to help you, so don’t get defensive or shrug the comments off as one person’s opinion. The most effective professionals learn from others and from their own experiences.

Be willing to improve

About the Career Advisory Board

Established in 2010 by DeVry University, the Career Advisory Board is comprised of leading representatives from business and academia, and recognized career experts who deliver valuable insights on today’s most important career trends and provide actionable advice for job seekers. The Career Advisory Board generates original research and commentary, and creates tools, insights and resources to prepare job seekers for success. Its members include executives from DeVry University, Google, HP, IBM, and LinkedIn, as well as nationally recognized career experts. For more information, visit http://careeradvisoryboard.org.